Impatiens plant named ‘Imspewhit’

ABSTRACT

A new  Impatiens  plant named ‘Imspewhit,’ characterized particularly as to novelty by a flat and strong outward spreading growth habit, freely branching with branches that tend to grow horizontally, resulting in a big and floriferous plant with large white flowers.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Impatiens walleriana.

Varietal denomination: ‘Imspewhit’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

The present invention comprises a new distinct cultivar of Impatiens, botanically known as Impatiens walleriana.

The new Impatiens is a product of a planned breeding program conducted in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The new Impatiens cultivar has a flat and spreading growing type, is floriferous with large white flowers, and has attractive dark green foliage.

The present cultivar originated from a cross-pollination made in 2005, of a proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection identified as ‘W4039-1,’ not patented, as the female, or seed parent, with a proprietary Impatiens walleriana selection identified as ‘W1452-1,’ not patented, as the male, or pollen parent.

The present cultivar has been repeatedly asexually reproduced by cuttings in Enkhuizen, Netherlands, in Angers, France, and in Gilroy, Calif., USA over a four year period. The new variety is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction. It takes 6 to 8 weeks to produce a finished plant, depending on the temperature.

This new Impatiens plant is an annual in most climatic zones in the US, except in zones 9 and 10, where it is a perennial plant.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

This new Impatiens plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographic drawing which shows blooms, buds and foliage of the plant in full color, the color showing being as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE PLANT

The following detailed descriptions set forth the distinctive characteristics of this new Impatiens. The data which defines these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Enkhuizen, Netherlands. The plant history was taken on 27 week old plants blossomed under natural light in the field.

Color readings were taken in the office under ambient light. Color references are primarily to The R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from the plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Impatiens have larger flowers with a good round shape, whereas the plants of the female parent have smaller flowers that are not round.

Plants of the new Impatiens differ primarily from the male plant selection in the following characteristics:

Plants of the new Impatiens have male sterile flowers, and a good spreading habit, whereas the plants of the male parent have male fertile flowers and a compact habit.

TABLE 1 DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE NEW CULTIVAR ‘IMSPEWHIT’ AND A SIMILAR CULTIVAR ‘Imtrawhit’ (U.S. Plant ‘Imspewhit’ Pat. No. 17,108) Leaf color: Dark green Green Trailing habit: Very good branching Branching habit habit

The family relationship is as follows:

The female parent line of ‘Imspewhit’ is ‘RBGE 19821569’×‘J0475-2’ crossed with line ‘M167’.

-   The plant:     -   -   Parentage.—Female parent: ‘W4039-1,’ not patented. Male             parent: ‘W1452-1,’ not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Terminal cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—10-12 days at 20° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—4 weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous, and white in color. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Makes long branches that tend to grow             horizontally.         -   Growth and branching habit.—Freely branching habit, freely             flowering, vigorous.         -   Plant height.—40 cm.         -   Plant spread.—90 cm. -   Lateral branch description:     -   -   Length.—25-50 cm.         -   Diameter.—8 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Internode length.—2 cm.         -   Color.—RHS N145A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Length, mature leaves.—6.5 cm.         -   Width, mature leaves.—3 cm.         -   Shape.—Obovate.         -   Apex.—Acuminate.         -   Base.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Crenate.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color young foliage, upper surface.—RHS 141A.         -   Color young foliage, lower surface.—RHS 143A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, upper surface.—RHS 139A.         -   Fully expanded foliage, lower surface.—RHS 138A.         -   Venation, upper surface.—RHS 145A.         -   Venation, lower surface.—RHS 145A.         -   Petiole, length.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Petiole, diameter.—About 4 mm.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—RHS 145A. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower type and flowering habit.—Single.         -   Number of flowers per leaf axil.—3.         -   Number of flowers.—18.         -   Flower buds per lateral branch.—10.         -   Flower position.—Above and beyond the foliage and typically             facing upwards and outward.         -   Flower shape.—Rounded, mostly flat.         -   Flowers lasting.—About 7-9 days on the plant depending on             environmental conditions.         -   Flowers.—Non persistent.         -   Flowers.—Not fragrant.         -   Flowering.—Indeterminate and continuous.         -   Flowering season.—Year round under greenhouse conditions. In             the garden, flowering from spring until fall.         -   Flower diameter.—About 4.7 cm. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Rate of opening.—From flower bud to fully open flower,             typically about 6-8 days, depending on temperature.         -   Bud length (at stage of showing color).—About 1.5 cm.         -   Bud diameter.—About 0.6 cm.         -   Bud shape.—Ovoid.         -   Texture.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color, just before opening.—RHS 145D. -   Petals:     -   -   Quantity.—Single, five per flower, imbricate.         -   Length of banner petal.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Width of banner petal.—About 3.3 cm.         -   Length lateral and basal petals.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Width lateral and basal petals.—About 2.4 cm.         -   Lateral and basal petal shape.—Obcordate.         -   Banner petal shape.—Broadly obcordate.         -   Petal apex.—Retuse to emarginate.         -   Petal base.—Attenuate.         -   Petal margin.—Entire.         -   Petal texture.—Smooth, satiny.         -   Petal color.—Upper surface when opening and fully opened:             RHS 155D. Lower surface when opening and fully opened: RHS             155D. -   Sepals:     -   -   Lateral sepals.—2.         -   Shape.—Ovate-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Length.—3-7 mm.         -   Texture upper and lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color of lateral sepals.—RHS 146C. -   Spur:     -   -   Length of spur.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Texture of spur.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Aspect.—Curved.         -   Color of spur.—RHS 145B. -   Peduncles:     -   -   Length of peduncles.—About 2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.1 cm.         -   Aspect.—About 45 degrees from the stem.         -   Color.—RHS 144A.         -   Bracts.—At least 2.         -   Shape.—Linear-lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Length.—3-6 mm.         -   Color.—RHS 145A. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Androecium.—Stamen number: Five fused at anthers, filaments             free, hooded. Anther shape: Obovate. Anther length: About             1 mm. Anther color: RHS 158A. Amount of pollen: No pollen.         -   Gynoecium.—Pistil number: One. Pistil length: About 1 mm.             Stigma shape: Columnar, five segmented. Stigma color:             RHS145C. Style colour: RHS 155C. Ovary arrangement: Five             celled. Ovary color: RHS 143A. -   Seed development: Seed development has not been observed to date. -   Disease/pest tolerance: No known susceptibility to disease or     insects noted to date. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Impatiens plant named ‘Imspewhit,’ as substantially illustrated and described herein. 